[InsTwin]

   
 
I don't really like the 598's all that well for gaming either. They are acceptable but not great. The 650's are unusable for gaming due to their slowness and generally fat sound. Stuff gets blurred together and the drivers seem to get lost in all of the different sounds. I have never heard anything good about the HD700. Are they good for gaming? I know I do like the 400i for music as I have listened to them at a friends house. (He's the one selling them to me). Driving them won't be an issue. I have come up with a unique solution to high powered gaming audio..... I have a creative Sound Blaster Z that has optical out and the option to mix the surround to the optical out so I am able to run the emulated surround of the sound blaster z into the optical input of my Modi 2 multibit & Magni 2 Uber stack. You probably wouldn't expect it to be all that much better than just plugging the headphones into the SBZ but it is and the sound is exceptional. Much much cleaner and you still get the better in game positional accuracy that the emulated surround gives you. 

I have a K7XX that I've been gaming with for almost a year out of a Modi2/Magni2U stack.  I just bought the HE400i during their winter sale, and while the speed and quality is excellent, they sound slightly less positionally accurate then the K7XX does. Perhaps this is due to the sound stage differences?  Not entirely sure if you'll experience this issue with the emulated surround sound or not, as I'm not doing anything like that to play my games (Overwatch, H1Z1 KOTK, HOTS, lately).
 
Can't compare to HD598 for you unfortunately.

 

[Pankaic]

Someone's probably asked this already, but are there any reasonably priced replacement cables? The stock cable is annoyingly stiff :/

 

[KepinCemit]

  Someone's probably asked this already, but are there any reasonably priced replacement cables? The stock cable is annoyingly stiff :/

You can search ebay for Sennheiser HD 700 replacement cable
 
There are some from China for around US$30 ish

 

[MartynB85]

 
yeah.  I thought it would be a gimmick, but it's actually really great, as long as you use it subtly.  Feels like what a large speaker stack does if you don't overdo it.  I feel like most people who reviewed it overdid it.  I turn mine down to the point where it's just barely consciously noticeable feel wise, but it really gives a perception of much more rich, deep, tight,impactful bass.  Also make sure you don't use its built in amp, the amp built into it is garbage.

 
Thats interesting, do you use the backpack or the chair version? What amp do you use?

 

[dcd564]

You can search ebay for Sennheiser HD 700 replacement cable

There are some from China for around US$30 ish

Pretty much what I was going to say. Check out the HD 700 cables on Amazon and see what customers also view. There's a lot of options. I'm just glad I'm not the only one who thinks the stock cable is overly stiff. I just can't decide which cable to get.

 

[fjrabon]

   
Thats interesting, do you use the backpack or the chair version? What amp do you use?

I used the backpack version, so that I can wear it on the front.  I separately send an AudioEngine D1 to the subpac (a torpedoIII feeds my HD800 or HE400i).
 
Here's a diagram of how I have it running (plus other stuff in my super nerdy, hardcore chain):
 


Where it says audioengine D1 (with a yellow exclamation point sign, since I don't have it hooked up right this second) that feeds subpac.  the one that says "cayin iDAC6" that feeds my headphones.  Both DACs are simultaneously hooked up to my computer.
 
You don't have to do it this way, it was just easiest for me.  You can also simply feed the subpac with a splitter off your regular amp.  

 

[CoFire]

I used the backpack version, so that I can wear it on the front.  I separately send an AudioEngine D1 to the subpac (a torpedoIII feeds my HD800 or HE400i).

Here's a diagram of how I have it running (plus other stuff in my super nerdy, hardcore chain):





Where it says audioengine D1 (with a yellow exclamation point sign, since I don't have it hooked up right this second) that feeds subpac.  the one that says "cayin iDAC6" that feeds my headphones.  Both DACs are simultaneously hooked up to my computer.

You don't have to do it this way, it was just easiest for me.  You can also simply feed the subpac with a splitter off your regular amp.  

Can you privide a link to the back pack product? I'm a little lost on this one. Is this some type of vibration device?

 

[MartynB85]

 
I used the backpack version, so that I can wear it on the front.  I separately send an AudioEngine D1 to the subpac (a torpedoIII feeds my HD800 or HE400i).
 
Here's a diagram of how I have it running (plus other stuff in my super nerdy, hardcore chain):
 


Where it says audioengine D1 (with a yellow exclamation point sign, since I don't have it hooked up right this second) that feeds subpac.  the one that says "cayin iDAC6" that feeds my headphones.  Both DACs are simultaneously hooked up to my computer.
 
You don't have to do it this way, it was just easiest for me.  You can also simply feed the subpac with a splitter off your regular amp.  

 
 
Very interesting. I need to buy more gear for sure! I take it that the bass is quite accurate?
 
CoFire google is your friend http://subpac.com/what-is-the-subpac/

 

[CoFire]

Very interesting. I need to buy more gear for sure! I take it that the bass is quite accurate?

CoFire google is your friend http://subpac.com/what-is-the-subpac/

Thanks for the link! I guess I couldn't believe my ears (eyes in this case). This seems like quite a departure from the "audiophile" purity this community or at least some members place on how to listen to music. It's like a headphone take on 4D digital theater sound experience or some home theater/gaming chairs.

Edit: It would be cool to wear this snowboarding connected to my helmet audio device! Maybe under my button up shirt at work? Jokes...

 

[DavidA]

   
 
I don't really like the 598's all that well for gaming either. They are acceptable but not great. The 650's are unusable for gaming due to their slowness and generally fat sound. Stuff gets blurred together and the drivers seem to get lost in all of the different sounds. I have never heard anything good about the HD700. Are they good for gaming? I know I do like the 400i for music as I have listened to them at a friends house. (He's the one selling them to me). Driving them won't be an issue. I have come up with a unique solution to high powered gaming audio..... I have a creative Sound Blaster Z that has optical out and the option to mix the surround to the optical out so I am able to run the emulated surround of the sound blaster z into the optical input of my Modi 2 multibit & Magni 2 Uber stack. You probably wouldn't expect it to be all that much better than just plugging the headphones into the SBZ but it is and the sound is exceptional. Much much cleaner and you still get the better in game positional accuracy that the emulated surround gives you. 

Agree the HD-650 is terrible for gaming.
 
Don't believe everything you read about the HD-700 as fact, many who do get them usually find out that the issues many talk about are not issues and really does not exist for most.  They got a bad reputation when they were first released since a few well known reviewers didn't like its sound signature and also they were over priced but these day they are going for $420 brand new and to me that's the best deal around.  For gaming the HD-700 is one of the best since it has a very wide sound stage, great positional audio and is fast like a planar and can be driven with sound cards quite well.  One thing I would suggest is a tube amp for the HD-700, hybrid or OTL amps are what most HD-700 owners settle on, for me its either a Project Ember, BH Crack or Lyr2.  My girlfriend used to use a Fiio X3 and her HD-700 when she walked our dog, did this for over 2 years before finally changing over to a Ypsilon build in place of the HD-700 due to the lighter weight and better sound for music.

 

[killeraxemannic]

  Agree the HD-650 is terrible for gaming.
 
Don't believe everything you read about the HD-700 as fact, many who do get them usually find out that the issues many talk about are not issues and really does not exist for most.  They got a bad reputation when they were first released since a few well known reviewers didn't like its sound signature and also they were over priced but these day they are going for $420 brand new and to me that's the best deal around.  For gaming the HD-700 is one of the best since it has a very wide sound stage, great positional audio and is fast like a planar and can be driven with sound cards quite well.  One thing I would suggest is a tube amp for the HD-700, hybrid or OTL amps are what most HD-700 owners settle on, for me its either a Project Ember, BH Crack or Lyr2.  My girlfriend used to use a Fiio X3 and her HD-700 when she walked our dog, did this for over 2 years before finally changing over to a Ypsilon build in place of the HD-700 due to the lighter weight and better sound for music.

 
If I find a good deal on them used I might pick them up. $420 is a lot. I usually limit myself to spending no more than $200 on a pair of headphones. I have gotten all of the headphones I own for that or less and that's what I am picking up the 400i's for tomorrow. We'll see how they are.

 

[fjrabon]

This seems like quite a departure from the "audiophile" purity this community or at least some members place on how to listen to music. It's like a headphone take on 4D digital theater sound experience or some home theater/gaming chairs.

Edit: It would be cool to wear this snowboarding connected to my helmet audio device! Maybe under my button up shirt at work? Jokes...

kind of.  It isn't supposed to be like those 4D chairs though, as those add to systems that already have subs.  Used properly the subpac is just supposed to simulate "real life" bass impact of large speakers or a system with a sub.  In real life you don't hear bass isolated in your ears, you actually "hear" bass with your whole body.  Headphone listening is actually pretty artificial.  
 
A lot of people try to use the subpac like those rumble chairs, with huge crazy impact, and it ends up blowing the subpac out. It should be "feathered in" so that it creates a more natural experience, not like a vibrating chair.  Like it actually produces the exact frequency of the bass when you feel it, and is perfectly timed.  YOu can feel how a bass playing 150Hz is different than 50 Hz.  It's not just like an indistinct rumbling.  It feels like what it feels like to be in front of speakers at a concert.

 

[ext23]

When people talk about the angled HM5 pads for these, are they sonically different than the stock pads that have been recently shipping?
 
Mine came with these:
 

 
...and they look identical to the angled Brainwavz pads.

 

[drwlf]

  When people talk about the angled HM5 pads for these, are they sonically different than the stock pads that have been recently shipping?
 
Mine came with these:
 

 
...and they look identical to the angled Brainwavz pads.

 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/572327/mission-replace-the-hifiman-ear-pads-with-other-brand-ear-pads/540#post_12665489 + the two posts under it.

 

[drwlf]

@killeraxemannic, @DavidA, @InsTwin
Gaming-wise, just a warning to all: treble-happy cans, especially if they're open, and you decide to ramp up the volume to add oomph to the bass/just to accommodate some background noise, can be seriously damaging to your ears.